So-called RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) is used in various fields. Typical forms of use of the RFID include those using card-shaped and sheet-shaped media. These media have built-in or attached RFID inlays that include an IC chip and an antenna.
In recent years, RFID tags having the RFID inlays built therein or attached thereto have been developed. The RFID tags can be printed with information on their surface by an electronic printer or like device, and enable reading and writing of a large amount of information by for example reader/writers in a non-contact state with the RFID inlay. The RFID tags are hung on products by passing thread or the like through a tag hole formed on an upper part of the RFID tags, and are use as tags.
However, since the RFID inlay may break and become unusable during manufacturing processes or before use, it is necessary to inspect and classify the RFID tags into good and defective ones, by inspection means such as a reader/writer, before shipping as a product.
For example Patent Literature 1 discloses a device that, in order to prevent any shipping of RFID tags whose RFID inlay is broken and is unusable (defected), inspects the RFID tags including an RFID inlay prior to shipping and forms a through hole in those determined as defective.
However, in the case of Patent Literature 1, punched pieces are generated, which thus requires a device to suck in the punched pieces, such as an air hose; this causes the device to become large-scale.
Moreover, for example the following Patent Literature 2 discloses a technique of applying a mark with for example an inkjet printer, to an IC inlet determined as defective from among a plurality of IC inlets drawn out and conveyed successively from an IC inlet roll.
In this case, the mark applied to the defective IC inlet is one made by oil-based ink, and this IC inlet can be distinguished in a case in which the mark can be seen by eyesight.
Therefore, for example, there was the inconvenience that it was difficult to distinguish the IC inlet from the plurality of IC inlets in a case in which the IC inlet is stacked with other IC inlets on top of each other. Moreover, in the case in which the IC inlet is stacked with other IC inlets on top of each other, there also was the inconvenience that a plurality of IC inlets that are printed or written with different information cannot be distinguished easily.